Bluesky vs. X: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Next Social Media Platform

Bluesky Social vs. X. Which is better? Bluesky and X (previously known as Twitter) are two very similar platforms that allow you to write short posts and read those written by others, but they still have their differences. After all, people wouldn’t be leaving one for the other if they were exactly the same.

This page breaks down how many users are on X vs Bluesky, how content moderation works on each platform, which social network has the best writing and media tools, and explores the type of users that actually post on Bluesky and X.

Overall Findings

X and Bluesky are both solid social media platforms that are easy to use and feature all of the functionality one expects from such services, like media attachments and the ability to limit who can reply to your posts. Writing posts is only one aspect of the social media experience though which usually relies more on the ability to find engaging posts created by others and connect with interesting accounts to follow. This is where Bluesky and X begin to diverge.

X has a massive user base of over 600 million people from all over the world, which has made it a solid platform for not just keeping up with domestic topics but those impacting other countries as well. It’s a common experience for X users to connect with, and even become friends with, users in other countries, though this also means that you’re more likely to be exposed to opinions and cultures that may clash with your own. Bluesky, on the other hand, is much smaller with just over 28 million users. Over 40 percent of Bluesky users are based in the USA and most tend to lean politically to the left which may appeal to you if you prefer a place to connect with like-minded people.

Both Bluesky and X feature their own moderation, support, and fact-checking services which continue to evolve. X and Bluesky also both support the ability to mute and block accounts and limit who can reply to your posts. X stands apart with its solid video and audio live-streaming functionality and native monetization tools, making it the clear choice if you need these specific features.

Bluesky vs. X Users: X Is Larger, More Diverse, and More Global Than Bluesky

How many users are on X vs. Bluesky? Bluesky has a surprisingly active user base of over 28 million users and this number continues to grow by the day. You won’t be starved of posts to read and people to connect with on Bluesky. However, almost half of Bluesky’s users are based in the USA which means that the platform offers a significantly less global take on current events and culture than X with its smaller 21 percent American demographic and significantly larger 600 million user base.

Bluesky also leans noticeably more to the political left as can be seen by all of its most popular accounts which include the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, The New York Times, and The Lincoln Project. Many of X’s biggest accounts are also progressive such as Barack Obama, Taylor Swift, and CNN, but they’re balanced by right-leaning accounts like Elon Musk and Donald Trump and their fans.

Post Limitations and Media: X Offers More Post Options Than Bluesky

Bluesky and X both offer similar solutions for composing posts and reading those written by others. Each platform has a similar character limit for individual posts, X with a 280 character limit and Bluesky with 300, and the option to attach static images, animated GIFs, and video files. However, Bluesky does restrict users to using either four images, a single GIF, or a single video per post which may frustrate those coming over from X which allows for a four-file combination of all three media types.

Those willing to pay $3 per month for an X Premium subscription also unlock the ability to edit posts, use text formatting options such as italics and bold, and write up to 4,000 characters per post. None of these options are available on Bluesky.

Both social media platforms let you place restrictions on your posts that limit who can reply, which is a great strategy for reducing online bullying and harassment. Only X has the option to make your account private though which could be a big deal for those who don’t want complete strangers following them and reading what they write.

Additional Features: X Is Way More Than a Basic Social Media Platform Now

Bluesky may be a solid tool for writing and reading posts but it’s not that useful for doing anything else. X, on the other hand, supports audio and video live streaming, features its own built-in AI tool for creating images and assisting in other tasks, and even has its own native employment service where people can apply for jobs and post their own job openings in a similar style to LinkedIn.

One feature that keeps a lot of users on X is the platform’s native monetization tools. In addition to enabling donations on profiles, X also allows accounts to earn money based on how much activity their posts generate. Most of the popular accounts on X earn money simply by posting as they normally would which is pretty impressive.

X Premium users can also change the X app’s icon, which is another option that’s also unavailable on Bluesky.

Misinformation and Moderation: Bluesky Has More Filters but X’s Fact-Checking Is Faster

Bluesky and X both offer the ability to report posts and accounts to official moderator teams which can remove the offending content or account if they deem it offensive enough or find that it breaks the law. Neither is perfect in this regard with many users on both platforms frequently having to wait days or even weeks to hear back about the status of their report. Even then, there’s no guarantee that the post or account will be removed as social media companies continue to struggle to find the balance between supporting free speech and the users who are negatively affected by what others post.

Both platforms allow you to mute and block specific words or phrases that you don’t want to see in your timeline feed and accounts that you don’t want to interact with. X and Bluesky also offer filters that automatically hide content that they deem offensive. Bluesky offers a variety of filters that can be used to fine-tune what’s hidden while X’s option is more of a blanket filter. Both generally work well, especially when it comes to hiding nudity and violent imagery and reducing spam replies.

X wins when it comes to fighting misinformation, relatively. Its Community Notes feature, which is run by volunteers, allows contributors to flag posts and propose corrections or warnings along with reputable sources which can appear under the offending post once it’s voted up by enough users. Bluesky has confirmed that it plans to add a similar Community Notes system inspired by X by the end of 2025.

Final Verdict: X and Bluesky Look Similar but Have Very Different Uses

X and Bluesky are both easy-to-use social media platforms for expressing yourself and connecting with other people on a range of topics. Each offers a range of security and moderation tools for customizing the type of content you’re exposed to and reporting other accounts and posts when needed. However, the vibe differs greatly depending on which one you’re using.

Bluesky is very much, as of early 2025, a platform for Americans who lean to the progressive end of the political spectrum, which can be great if that’s the type of online experience you’re after. X, with over half a billion users, is much more culturally diverse and is the better choice if you’re interested in staying up-to-date with not just the USA but South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the rest of the world.

Content creators may also drift more towards X due to its support for live streaming and monetization, two features that simply aren’t supported on Bluesky.